IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 421 

Recognizing people of African Descent and Black Europeans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2013 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing people of African Descent and Black Europeans. 

Whereas the 109th Congress passed H. Con. Res. 60 and S. 

Con. Res. 90, recognizing African descendants in Latin 

America and the Caribbean, raising awareness of the racism and discrimination faced by those communities, and 

leading to numerous public and private sector initiatives 

between the United States and Latin American and Caribbean countries to improve the situation of African descendants; 

Whereas the persistence of racism and discrimination in Europe similarly necessitates congressional action to raise 

awareness and promote public and private sector initiatives to stem this trend; 


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Whereas the terms ‘‘Afro-European’’, ‘‘African European’’, 

or ‘‘Black European’’ refer to people of African ancestry 

or descent born in, citizens of, or living in Europe; 

Whereas an estimated 7,000,000 to 10,000,000 individuals of 

African descent currently live in and have long had a 

presence in Europe, forming an influential part of the African diaspora; 

Whereas the story of Black Europeans remains widely untold, 

rendering many of their past and present contributions to 

the political and social life of Europe invisible or forgotten; 

Whereas unlike more contemporary figures, largely unknown 

Blacks have made significant contributions to European 

history and culture, including Spanish poet Juan Latino, 

Italian Duke Alessandro Medici, French novelist 

Alexandre Dumas, German scholar Anthony William 

Amo, French Composer Le Chevalier de St. George, British abolitionist Oladuah Equiano, and Russian General 

and Governor Abram Hannibal, great-grandfather of 

Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin; 

Whereas the largest estimated populations of Black Europeans can be found in France (approximately 2,500,000), 

the United Kingdom (approximately 1,500,000), and the 

Netherlands (approximately 500,000), in addition to sizeable populations in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, 

Norway, Ireland, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, 

Denmark, and Austria; 

Whereas the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to 

voluntary and forced migration resulting from the geographical proximity of Europe to Africa and the Middle 

East, including the transatlantic slave trade, the colonizaVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:38 Nov 20, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR421.IH HR421

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tion of Africa and the Caribbean, African and AfricanAmerican military deployments, the movement of refugees and asylum seekers, and educational and other professional exchanges; 

Whereas although Black Europeans have made significant 

achievements in and contributions to European society, 

large numbers have and continue to be more likely than 

the general population to experience discrimination and 

be underrepresented in leadership roles in the public and 

private sector as a result of the color of their skin and 

ancestry; 

Whereas racism has long been, and continues to be, a problem in Europe; 

Whereas, on April 29, 2008, before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, at a hearing entitled 

‘‘The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, 

and Politics’’, Dr. Philomena Essed stated, ‘‘Probably the 

only common European experience among many, if not 

all, Afro-descendants is their exposure to [. . .] racism 

and systemic discrimination, regardless of country, socioeconomic conditions, gender, age, or level of education’’; 

Whereas as early as 1997, the European Commission opinion 

poll entitled ‘‘Racism and Xenophobia in Europe’’ reported a ‘‘worrying level of racism and xenophobia in 

[European Union] Member States, with nearly 33% of 

those interviewed openly describing themselves as ‘quite 

racist’ or ‘very racist’.’’; 

Whereas annual reports of the European Union Fundamental 

Rights Agency (EUFRA), including the 2009 European 

Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EUMIDIS), the first European Union-wide survey of ethnic 


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minority and immigrant groups’ experiences of discrimination and victimization in everyday life in the 27 member states of the European Union, have found that persons of African descent experience high incidents of discriminatory treatment, racist crime, and victimization, 

and lacked an awareness of their rights, often underreporting cases of discrimination to law enforcement and 

human rights agencies; 

Whereas the 2013 Organization for Security and Cooperation 

in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human 

Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) Annual Hate Crimes report included findings that there were more than 16 deaths and 

violent assaults against people of African origin, and that 

persons of African descent are often targets of racist and 

anti-migrant violence, especially in eastern Europe, yet in 

many countries legal assistance and financial support for 

victims while recovering from violent attacks does not 

exist; 

Whereas prejudice and discrimination towards Black Europeans has also been linked to changes in immigration and 

asylum laws as a result of antiterrorism initiatives and 

the growth and mainstreaming of nationalist and anti-immigrant political parties and groups, including neo-Nazis 

and skinheads; 

Whereas the Open Society Justice Initiative in an initial 

2009 report, entitled ‘‘Ethnic Profiling in the European 

Union’’, and subsequent reports has found that police officers in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, 

and the Netherlands routinely use racial profiling, including targeting Blacks, when deciding whom to target for 

stops, searches, raids, and surveillance, leading to some 

of the first nationwide grassroots and legal efforts to end 


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racial profiling in France, Germany, and elsewhere in 

Europe; 

Whereas there have been numerous efforts by the public and 

private sector to address racial discrimination and inequality in Europe, including the introduction of antidiscrimination and equality laws that include the legal 

support for special measures or positive (affirmative) action, creation of equality bodies, media campaigns, and 

efforts to increase minority political participation, and 

campaigns to end the use of stereotypes and derogatory 

terms to refer to Blacks in everyday language, the media, 

and textbooks; 

Whereas these efforts include the United Nations designation 

of 2011 as the International Year for People of African 

Descent in an effort to strengthen national actions to ensure that people of African descent enjoy economic, cultural, social, civil, and political rights, as well as promote 

a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture; 

Whereas these efforts also include the OSCE Parliamentary 

Assembly’s (PA) adoption of a Resolution on ‘‘Strengthening Efforts to Combat Racism and Xenophobia and 

Foster Inclusion’’ at the 2011 Annual Session recognizing the international year for people of African descent 

and calling for OSCE to implement several strategic initiatives to address racial and ethnic discrimination in the 

OSCE region; 

Whereas in 2011, OSCE/ODIHR held its first ‘‘Roundtable 

on the contemporary forms of racism and xenophobia affecting Peoples of African Descent in the OSCE region’’, 

and in 2012 a hate crimes training for the people of African descent, and in 2013 an exchange with European 


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and United States civil rights leaders of African descent 

and other public and private sector entities combating 

discrimination and inequality; 

Whereas these efforts also include transatlantic meetings of 

Black and minority legislators held at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, including the March 24, 

2011, and June 1, 2010, through June 2, 2010, Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conferences and 

April 15, 2009, through April 16, 2009, ‘‘Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Participation’’ and the adoption of the Brussels Declaration 

calling for increased minority political inclusion; 

Whereas as part of the March 24, 2011, Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conference legislators and minority leaders from North America and Europe held a 

Parliamentary Forum at the European Parliament in 

Brussels, Belgium, to discuss a ‘‘Joint Action Plan on 

Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion’’ between the 

European Union and United States; 

Whereas in October 2013, European Parliamentarians in 

partnership with the European Network Against Racism 

(ENAR) held ‘‘(In)visible Diversity a series of debates in 

the European Parliament’’, including, a debate entitled, 

‘‘People of African descent and Black Europeans: Realities of Afrophobia’’; 

Whereas despite these efforts, international entities, such as 

the OSCE Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, EUFRA, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, and 

the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary 

Forms of Racism, Independent Expert on minority 


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issues, and Experts Working Group on People of African 

Descent, have documented ongoing racism and xenophobia, and racial and ethnic discrimination, and called 

for an increase in initiatives to combat racism and inequality; and 

Whereas throughout the history of the United States, members of both the public and private sectors have exchanged information on best practices for antidiscrimination measures and racial equality with committed parties 

in other countries, including initiatives such as the ongoing implementation of the 2008 ‘‘Joint Action Plan Between the Government of the Federative Republic of 

Brazil and the Government of the United States of 

America to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination 

and Promote Equality’’, also known as the United StatesBrazil Joint Action Plan Against Racial Discrimination, 

and the more recent United States-Colombia Action Plan 

on Racial and Ethnic Equality: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages the recognition and celebration 

3 of the collective history and achievements made by 

4 people of African descent; 

5 (2) reaffirms the importance of inclusion and 

6 the full and equal participation of people of African 

7 descent around the world in all aspects of political, 

8 economic, social, and cultural life; 

9 (3) recognizes that, as a result of their skin 

10 color and ancestry, many Black Europeans have 


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1 wrongfully experienced injustices in the public and 

2 private sector; 

3 (4) welcomes parliamentary activities, including 

4 those of the Organization for Security and Coopera5 tion in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, to 

6 engage in efforts to promote racial equality and 

7 combat racial discrimination through efforts such as 

8 introducing legislation, speaking out against racism, 

9 increasing the political participation of racial minori10 ties, and working with Black European and other 

11 minority communities to develop relevant policies; 

12 (5) urges European governments and members 

13 of civil society and the private sector, in consultation 

14 with Black European communities, to develop and 

15 implement initiatives to combat racial discrimination 

16 and promote racial equality in Europe, by— 

17 (A) drafting and implementing anti18 discrimination, special measures, hate crimes, 

19 migration and integration, and other laws and 

20 policies to address discrimination and dispari21 ties and promote equality, noting the rec22 ommendations of the United Nations Com23 mittee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimina24 tion, the Experts Working Group on People of 

25 African Descent (WGPAD), the European 


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1 Commission against Racism and Intolerance, 

2 the European Union Fundamental Rights 

3 Agency (EUFRA), the United Nations Special 

4 Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism 

5 and Independent Expert on minority issues, 

6 and the OSCE Personal Representative on 

7 Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimi8 nation; 

9 (B) promoting and funding research, in10 cluding the collection of national census data on 

11 Black Europeans and its inclusion in the an12 nual reports of the EUFRA; 

13 (C) providing technical support, training, 

14 and funding to Black European civil society 

15 groups working to combat racism, discrimina16 tion, and inequality, and uphold basic human 

17 rights in Europe; 

18 (D) introducing national measures to 

19 counter stereotypical images of persons of Afri20 can descent, by revising textbooks, increasing 

21 efforts to include Black Europeans in history 

22 and heritage institutions, and remembering vic23 tims of colonialism, slavery, and other atroc24 ities; 


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1 (E) developing or increasing financial sup2 port for funds to assist victims of hate crimes 

3 with legal assistance and compensation when 

4 incapacitated due to physical or emotional inju5 ries; 

6 (F) developing specific initiatives that ad7 dress the special concerns of Black European 

8 women and youth; 

9 (G) actively promoting racial and ethnic 

10 minority participation at all levels of national, 

11 regional, and local government through the edu12 cation of civil and political rights, including the 

13 legislative process and advocacy of legislative 

14 issues relevant to racial and ethnic minority 

15 communities, development of targeted profes16 sional development and hiring strategies, in17 creased youth and community outreach, and 

18 self-organization and other empowerment initia19 tives; and 

20 (H) recruiting, training, and hiring Black 

21 Europeans for professional positions in support 

22 of these initiatives; 

23 (6) urges the Secretary of State to— 

24 (A) provide technical assistance and other 

25 support for European governments and memVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:38 Nov 20, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR421.IH HR421

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1 bers of the civil society and private sector to 

2 fulfill the initiatives outlined above; 

3 (B) increase support for the WGPAD; and 

4 (C) appoint a Senior Advisor on Afro-de5 scent peoples at the Department of State and 

6 create a Fund for the Inclusion of Racial and 

7 Ethnic minorities modeled after the Depart8 ment’s International Fund for Women and 

9 Girls and LGBT Global Equality Funds; and 

10 (7) supports the adoption of a ‘‘Joint Action 

11 Plan on Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion’’ 

12 between the European Union and United States and 

13 implementation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assem14 bly 2011 Resolution on Strengthening Efforts to 

15 Combat Racism and Xenophobia and Foster Inclu16 sion to assist in fulfilling the initiatives above. 

Æ 


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